Ground Size/Conditions - Are there any noticeable differences??

[Ricco_M]

Just wondering if anyone has any guides or comparisons of the different ground sizes /wicket conditons /outfield speed for each of the grounds in AC09.

It's just that over the past few months I've read some people say for instance that Harare has short boundaries while others have said that MCG and Lords have quite large outfields with the speed the ball travelling across the outfield varying. I was just wondering if anyone has any visual evidence of this or maybe a birds eye view of the pitches that can be extracted from the game files?

In terms of wicket/ground conditions I've read people saying for example that sub-continent grounds like Karachi etc. take more spin, Australian and South African grounds more pace and bounce while New Zealand and England grounds have more swing - BUT is there actually any evidence of all this in the gameplay?

I personally don't notice any real difference between grounds but then again I'm not the most observant person and I haven't played the game that much. However it would be great to know that there is actual gameplay charachteristics to each of the grounds.

So - What do you all think?

 

[lazy_chesnut]

The pitches and outfields behave no differently. There are, however, different sizes of stadiums. Harare is tiny, and Lords is pretty big.

 

[Ricco_M]

Thanks Tom - I thought that might be the case.

So it's a feature to add for future titles then hopefully.

Maybe a future game could even have different shaped outfields for each of the grounds. For instance like the unique short square boundary beside the new stand at Trent Bridge which was used to great effect during the T20 world cup

So is there any noticeable variation in bounce and carry for each of the grounds - I seem to recall this being sold as a new feature of the game at the time of release?

 

[MasterBlaster76]

I agree with Tom - I see no discernable difference between different pitches. This was very disappointing - as was the step backwards (in my view) of not saying whether the pitch was dry/dusty/green/damp/normal and so on. Something as basic as that can help you decide whether you should really reconsider your choice to play two spinners, since the pitch actually turns out to be a green seamer.

This game has taken leaps and bounds forwards on the pitch, but off the pitch, it's really not very good at all - something that we could just about let pass for this game, but the pressure will be on next time, TG!

On top of that, if a game starts out with sunny conditions, it'll stay sunny for the entire match - no days/sessions where the clouds close in to help the bowlers a bit.

As to swing, I've never seen the ball move in the air before it's pitched, but it often moves after it's pitched and gone past the bat (not much use there).

 

[pcfan123]

Auckland is easily the biggest in the game.

 

[aussie1st]

The outfield behaves differently, Cardiff is more quicker than Lords so perfectly timed shots in the 1st Ashes match goes to the fence while in the 2nd test you actually have to run.

 

[Stephen Bailey]

The outfield behaves differently, Cardiff is more quicker than Lords so perfectly timed shots in the 1st Ashes match goes to the fence while in the 2nd test you actually have to run.

I think that's more to do with the size of the boundaries at Lord's. Try and hit sixes at Cardiff and Lord's, you'll notice the difference then.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

The outfields are all peculiar - the ball is racing away to the boundary and then it slows up as though it's entered a damp area, so the fielder can get it. I think this is TG's mechanism to stop too many boundaries.

Next time, we want to see fielders who can actually run fast enough and dive to be able to reach the ball and stop it getting to the boundary.

 

[drainpipe32]

The lack of pitch differences is really disappointing. I started an Ashes series and Cardiff was a Dustbowl. I'm thinking great! Restart the series and it's a green top. Really disappointing .

 

[cooks1st100]

As to swing, I've never seen the ball move in the air before it's pitched, but it often moves after it's pitched and gone past the bat (not much use there).

I'm disappointed to read this as it was a point i had highlighted several times when the game was initially released and since the beta had come out i have read post's saying that the ball now visibly swung. So i take it that a swinging ball is still pretty much the same as a cutter

 

[The_gas]

Try telling Kabooka that all pitches behave the same...

 

[lazy_chesnut]

OK. Kabooka - all pitches behave the same.

 

[barmyarmy]

Day 5 makes a difference though.

 

[lazy_chesnut]

As for the outfield speed, it's clearly too slow at the moment, though because the fielders are too slow it seems they have had to adjust the outfield. I've never seen a fielder chase down a ball which would have reached the boundary - only when the ball is about to stop do they reach it, it seems.

I think the shot powers need to be lessened, and the rolling friction reduced. I can try it with one of the old closed betas and see if it helps, or even works at all.

lazy_chesnut added 0 Minutes and 34 Seconds later...

What difference do you see day 5? Just more spin?

 

[barmyarmy]

I'm just going by what Rob said about pitch changes not just being graphical.